God created man, He created the body, He created the heart and He created the mind. As the Creator, He is all-too-familiar with how all the inter-workings are interconnected. Thus, He spoke of how “a cheerful heart is a good medicine” (Prov. 17:22, ASV). But not just a joyful heart. The Maker shared that “a sound (or tranquil) heart is life to the body” (Prov. 14:30). A heart that is at peace and is content is healthy for the entire body.
As God knew about the positive inter-workings, He also knew about the negative effects. The rest of Proverbs 14:30 states, “But envy is rottenness to the bones.” That is so graphic! One’s heart has a tremendous influence over the whole body. Combine these words with James 3:14 – “If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts,” it will make your bones rot.
It is so easy today to become envious of others. Our Creator knew that and told us, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day” (Prov. 23:17).